Coaching: Design · Core
Define product roles and a career framework
Clear roles and levels help PMs know what is expected and how to grow. Base them on skills and scope, not just titles.
About 5-15 daysEvergreenLast reviewed 5 November 2026
Who this applies to
- Skills it builds
- Leadership and coaching
- PM types
- All
- Product types
- All
- Starting points
- All
- Ways of working
- All
- Experience
- Intermediate (1 to 4 years)Experienced (5+ years)
- Size of organisation
- All
Steps, by experience
Beginner (under 1 year)
- List the product roles you have today and what each does.
- Describe each level by what the person owns and the skills they show.
- Start from a published framework rather than from scratch.
- Test the draft with PMs at different levels.
- Agree it with HR and leaders.
Intermediate (1 to 4 years)
- Include both people-leader and senior individual paths.
- Use the framework for hiring, reviews and development plans.
- Keep it short enough to use in a conversation.
Experienced (5+ years)
- Align product levels with engineering and design levels.
- Link the framework to pay and promotion with HR.
- Review it each year as roles change.
Who can do this
Owner: Product manager
Can be delegated to
- People / HR partner: Align with HR policies, pay and promotion
Reviewed by: People / HR partner, Senior leader / sponsor
Tool examples
- Confluence
- Publish the framework with examples for each level.
- Google Docs
- Draft levels and collect comments.
Definition of done
- Roles and levels described
- Tested with PMs
- Agreed with HR
Common pitfalls
- Levels defined only by years
- No senior individual path
- A framework too long to use